Were you a swimmer in the 1960s, '70s, '80s or '90s? If you swam competitively or needed a swimsuit anytime of the year, you would probably remember Kelleher Swim Shop at their first location on 38th and Illinois street or later years at 1908 E. 62nd street next to the Tin Star Restaurant. Dick and Norma Kelleher started Kelleher Swim Shop back in the 1960s out of their family's love for swimming. Their daughter, Jodi Shircliff, tells the story.

"Summer days were always spent at the Riviera Swim Club with their three daughters, Patty, Janey and myself from sunup to sundown and we were usually the last to leave! You could always find the latest Speedos (Kelleher Swim Shop was one the first retailers in the U.S. to sell them) or the very fancy "fashion" suits and cover-ups. You could get all of your swimming needs at Kelleher's - goggles, kickboards, beach towels, and stylish swim caps. You probably remember being greeted by Dick, Norma, and their little white dog, Kelle in the tiki hut-style atmosphere with the cabana dressing rooms to try on your suit. During the busy summer months, extra girls were hired to help with out-of-town mail orders from swim teams, local swimmers getting outfitted for team suits, and stopwatch rentals for swim meets," Ms. Shircliff recalled.

"Dick and Norma started out selling swimming pools. It was called Lancer Pools by Kelleher operating out of our home. The pools were a fiberglass shell that would be inserted into the ground and then landscaped around it as usual. It didn't really make a big "splash," but did warrant a pool in their yard for demonstration purposes!" she noted.

"During that time, Speedo swimsuits were also being sold from their home. Tank suits were quite new at the time and came in only a few colors! The shop was eventually opened at 38th and Illinois Street. A big amount of the business was mail-order for individuals and teams across the state," she added.

Dick and Norma traveled to swim meets on the weekends to show their support for the teams and were also interested to see all of their suits on the various teams. They traveled to the Summer Olympics in Mexico and had pictures of the Olympians on display at the shop outfitted of course, in Speedo swimwear.

"Kelleher Swim Shop was open year-round, 6 ½ days a week. Sundays were for pool time in the summer. Dick passed away in 1979. Norma continued running the store until 1994 when their nephew, Scott Conder, bought the store that he eventually moved to the Monon Bike Trail in Broad Ripple. It has since closed. Norma passed away at the end of 2012 in Cincinnati. A memorial mass will be held for her on Friday, June 7, 2013 at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at the SS. Peter & Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis, located at 1347 N. Meridian Street at 9:30 a.m. where she and Dick were married in 1940," Ms. Shirlciff said.

Kelleher Swim Shop created endless summer memories in the lives of many generations in and around Broad Ripple.